An Evening to Remember ...

An Evening to Remember …

Sayantan Das

Published by Sayantan Das

Copyright© 2014 Sayantan Das

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favorite ebook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

ISBN: 9781310257506

Dedicated to everyone who misses

The first one year of their professional life

Acknowledgements

Writing this book wasn’t really a solitary process and this is where I get to thank people who have helped me in the journey.

I have to thank my spouse, for always standing by my side.

My colleague, Bhabesh Mohanty.  Who had provided me valuable inputs on writing this book.

Thanks to Sandeep Maharana for cover designing.

And my one year stays at Bangalore city, without which this book may not be conceived.

Don’t wait until it’s too late

To tell someone

How much you love,

How much you care.

Because

When they’re gone,

No matter how loud

You shout and cry,

They won’t hear you anymore.

Contents

Beginning

Chapter – I

Chapter – II

Chapter – III

Chapter – IV

Chapter – V

Chapter – VI

Chapter – VII

Chapter – VIII

Chapter – IX

Chapter – X

Chapter – XI

Chapter – XII

Chapter – XIII

Chapter – XIV

Chapter – XV

Chapter – XVI

Chapter – XVII

Chapter – XVIII

Chapter – XIX

Chapter – XX

Epilogue

Beginning

Ribhu! Ribhu! The sound wakes him up from his dreams.

Someone is calling him by his name. Ribhu is still lying in bed and thinking who is calling him in this morning. Then he can hear his Mother’s voice again, Ribhu, Bibhas has come.

So he has to wake up at last. Ribhu and Bibhas are two childhood friends, who live very close to Ribhu’s house. Though they had read in the same school, but both have to choose different colleges for graduation according to their rankings in Engineering Entrance Exam. Just two months before both have completed their final fourth year of Engineering. Whereas Ribhu has already got the placement on a renowned MNC during his final year compassing, Bibhas is yet to get any job-offer.

As there is no internet connection on Bibhas’s home, he has come here to check the job portals for any new openings. So Ribhu started his desktop for Bibhas and goes to the bathroom to get fresh.

Though Ribhu has got the placement, he has not got the date-of-joining yet and two months have already passed after their final year result comes out.  The world is going through its first recession of the century, so he is also tensed about his joining date. None of his college friends have got their joining dates yet. In last two months his only work was to check his mailbox for any news from Infortix Technology (the MNC in which Ribhu get placed) about his joining date, watching movies, playing computer games and spend time with friends.

After ten minutes Ribhu is with his friend again, sharing the same desktop. He opens his mailbox as a habit without taking much hope in mind. But good news was waiting for him, he can see the name of the MNC where he had got placement, in his inbox and his heart skips a bit with excitement. He opens the mail and read the mail again and again with full details. A senior HR has sent him the mail. It says, Ribhu has to join the company from Sept last, but not in his hometown Kolkata, he has to report to the Bangalore office from 23rd Sept. Ribhu is slightly disappointed that he has to leave his hometown but get some relief that at least his date-of-joining is finalized.

His friend Bibhas is watching all the expressions of his friend. He congratulates him. But Ribhu feels sad for his friend, as when he is excited taking his joining, his friend Bibhas is still struggling for a placement. Ribhu goes downstairs to give his parents the good news of the day. And the preparations have started for his journey towards a new city, where his parent’s will not be present with him.

Chapter – I

Sometimes it feels scary to go a two thousands kilometers far new city where he wasn’t staying any time before. Also without his parents he wasn’t gone anywhere distant before. But also he can sense the freedom of staying far from his parents.

It’s just few days left for Durgapuja to start and just after the Dussehra he has to join his new company. So Ribhu is very busy from morning. First in morning he calls his other friends from college who got the job on the same company. Three of his college friends Rahul, Prasun, Akash will be joining on 23rd in Bangalore, whereas one of his friends will be joining on 4th Oct in Pune. He gets some relief that he will not feel alone in a new city. Then he has to go to market to buy some new formal cloths. Afterwards he will give the news to his other relatives.

He has to start packing also, like he usually has to do during any trip with his parents. This thought gives him some chill of good feelings. From childhood he loves to travel different places. Almost every year he used to travel during the long school holidays of Durgapuja with his parents and he would wait for the entire year for those particular times of the year.

During night he comes to their roof to get some fresh air. Standing in very dimly lit roof and looking outside the city is one of his favorite time-pass. He is looking towards the plants in tubs of their roof, and thinking maybe he will miss these views for a very longer time. He doesn’t know when he will get the chance to come here again. So he starts memorizing all these views in his mind. Yes, he will surely miss many things. He will miss his parents, his friends, his home, and he will miss the charm of Kolkata a lot which have some unforgettable memory with him.

That day passes by like a twinkle of an eye.

Next day Ribhu comes to know that, all his college friends as well as school friends have already got the information about his posting. Ribhu, Rahul, Prasun and Akash are the first one from their college to get the joining, on this calendar year. So everyone is calling to congratulate him. Prasun and Akash have decided to go by Train, so they have to leave Kolkata on 20th Sept, as they have to join from 23rd. But Ribhu and Rahul want to enjoy this Durgapuja as much as possible, so they have decided to go by air. They have scheduled to leave during Dussehra on 22nd Sept.

Both of Ribhu’s parents are State Government employees.  They are not as rich that they can afford air fare without much thinking. His joining is less than ten days left and a Kolkata to Bangalore air ticket will cost them nearly 11,000 bucks. So when Ribhu first tells his father that he wants to go by air he disagrees with him. But after some arguments Ribhu and his mother are able to convince him. Now it is all set that Ribhu will go by air. He is relived that he can stay in Kolkata till the afternoon of Dussehra. He quickly calls Rahul that he is all set to go by air. They have decided to go by the last flight of 22nd September, towards Bangalore.

The fun filled Durgapuja days are over quickly. And the day of his departure has come quickly. Dussehra known as Vijaya-Dasami in Bengal is a very important day in all the Bengali’s life, where everyone goes to their relative’s house to give respect to their elder ones and the older ones gives blessings to the younger generations. As he has to catch his flight that evening, he uses the morning hours to go some of his relative’s house to do ‘pronam’. Everyone give him much advice about his new office as well his new location and also they don’t forget to give their blessings.

It is 2:30 p.m. already. Ribhu is finally checking his luggage, so that he doesn’t miss anything important. He has packed one large trolley-bag and a backpack.

Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Domestic Airport is one and half hours journey from their home and also he have to reach an hour earlier for check-in. So he must be hurried now to catch the flight on 5:30 p.m. When Ribhu is getting ready, he feels nostalgic for the city; he had born and bought up. He doesn’t have any idea, when he will be able to come to his home again. He looks around the room for one last time and the memories of so many things are coming in his mind. But his father is calling him from downstairs as the Taxi has already come, which will take him towards the airport. He comes downstairs with the luggage in hand. Taking validation from the others he enters the backseat of the taxi.

His parents and a family friend are going for his send-off in Airport. Finally they reached the airport just after 4:00 p.m. It will be Ribhu’s first airplane ride, so he is both exited as well as anxious. But it’s a relief that his friend Rahul will also be there with him, though he still can’t see him. He dials Rahul’s number and when he picks his call Ribhu can see him from a distance. Ribhu, along with Rahul enters the main lounge of the Airport to make their boarding pass, leaving a final good-bye towards their parents. It is Ribhu’s first time ride to an airplane but not for Rahul, so Rahul is helping him with the boarding procedure. Rahul books for the window seat and Ribhu is next to him. An air-conditioned bus has taken them from the launch to the Airplane after their boarding pass is prepared. Finally exactly at 4:50 p.m. they reach for their seats on the Airplane.

Ribhu makes a final call to his father and then switched-off the mobile as instructed. Sitting on the Airplane he is thinking about his job and planning for his future goals. Bangalore city is called the ‘Silicon Valley’ of India; he can easily flourish his career there. He has started dreaming of a highly paid job there in next five years. In his mind, he has already stepped towards his future from his present.

Chapter – II

4:50 p.m. Bangalore

Shruti is standing on the bus stand just opposite her favourite coffee-shop. Today she has worn a pitch black skirt and a white top with black shades on it. Her untied step cut hair spreads all over her shoulder making a stylish ‘V’ shape on her backside. She is waiting for her friend to come. They will meet some of their old college friends today.

Suddenly a heavy flow of air comes. Within a moment everything becomes hazy in dust. Pieces of paper, leaves, and plastic packets all are scattering here and there with the wind. Dust particles are attacking mouths and eyes like needles. Peoples are running for some shelter. Shruti closes her eyes to save herself from dust. Suddenly rain has also started. So she also has to run towards her favourite coffee-shop, till the rain ends. It’s just a routine downpour; she knows. It will not last more than thirty minutes. He is habituated with this type of typical Bangalore weather in last three years. While sitting and sipping her favourite cold coffee, she looks outside. Rain is washing outside of the glass wall of the coffee shop; it looks mesmerizing, which is forcing her back towards her past. Five years earlier, a rain filled evening is flashing in her memory.

She was reading in class ten then. Shruti and her friend Shreya had gone for their Physics coaching. She could see the pitch dark sky outside, through the glass windows; it was looking like the rain would start anytime. She could smell the wet air from inside the room. And it was started with a bang. The glass panels of the windows were making the perfect sound of a heavy downpour and the occasional lightning was making everything visible in the dark. It felt very soothing in her ears and a perfect eye candy for her eyes. She could not concentrate on her teacher anymore; street lights were already turned on and she was just looking at the wet city outside. Within a few minutes she could sense that the coaching class was over for that day. The force of rain became bit slower then. So everyone had decided to start towards their homes. Shruti, Shreya and Priti stayed same side of the city. Priti was hesitating to do cycling in rain but Shruti was thrilled that today she would get the chance to get wet in rain. Shreya also supported her and they were all on their way towards their home. First they had to cross the bus road then there was a long road beside a playground. Both side of that road was filled with long trees. When they had reached there, it looked deserted but she loved that. There were very little light in that road but for the occasional lightning they could see that the playground was completely filled with water. The deserted dimly lit road - wet trees - scattered brunches of tree on road - water filled ground and she was cycling with her best friends in rain; everything was so perfect for her it felt very nice. In another twenty minutes she had reached home. Though her mother shouted over her for getting wet in rain, she was very excited to tell her adorable dad about the day.

From her very childhood she was much attached with her dad. She shared every single secrets of her with him. And her dad too loved her a lot. But with her mom she shared a very different equation. Sometimes she was frightened of her mom. Though both of them loved her, they were way different in their character. Suresh was a Central Government Officer. He gets paid well, but Meena was never satisfied with his job. She was a painter in profession and was much ambitious about her job. Whereas Suresh was always calm and cool, Meena easily got tempered. If Shruti does anything wrong; Suresh always calmly make her understand that she had done something bad, but Meena used to shout over